Enjoy The Silence
by HarleyQuinn88
Summary: In 1864, Chelsea was bold and Damon was polite. Things change, and so do people. Can Chelsea find the man she fell in love with or will fall for the man he's become? Damon/OC [This story is up for adoption. PM me if you're interested.]
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I've been in The Vampire Diaries a lot lately and I got REALLY inspired to write this little one-shot. I'm leaving it open ended because I don't know yet if I'll add on to it. So, I hope you love it, and if you do, please review!**

**And be sure to check out TinyDancer365, who writes beautiful Damon fics, and whom I also beta for!**

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><p><strong>1864<strong>

Chelsea bounded through the field of knee-high grass, ignoring the stitch in her side as she went. Her full dress and heeled boots were cumbersome, but she didn't let these things slow her down. Out of breath and giggling, Chelsea rushed behind a nearby tree, peeking her head out to see how close her pursuer was.

They were on the small bit of land behind the stables, about an acre of field with a single tree on the farthest edge. The sun was just beginning to set, giving everything a warm amber glow. Chelsea looked up to the simple tree-house the boys had built long before she had come along. She looked back out the field, but there was no one in sight. Using the opportunity, she pulled up her skirt, revealing the cage crinoline underneath. With deft movement, she unhooked the caging and let it collapse around her feet. Her dress now hanging limp around her legs, Chelsea ascended the wooden planks nailed to the trunk of the tree.

The tree-house was humble, but homey. From its inception it had been a wooden platform with a railing and awning. It had been a hiding place, a fortress, a military base, all in the minds of its creators. When Chelsea came along though, it had been painted and decorated with cushions. It was still of the places it had been before, they were just more comfortable now.

She looked out through the tree branches and still saw no one. She looked out from every direction, but he was nowhere in sight. Chelsea became nervous. She knew he was up to no good, but she could do nothing to stop it. She didn't even know where he was. Taking comfort in the fact that she would at least be alone for a moment, she quickly unlaced her boots and tossed them to the side. Her stockings soon followed and she lay back on the many cushions and propped her bare ankles up on the railing. She closed her eyes and bathed in the sunlight streaming between the leaves.

"Boo!" he shouted, his head sticking through the opening in the floor. Chelsea's eyes shot open and she shot up with a yelp. Laughing, he climbed the rest of the way into the tree-house and sat down beside her.

"Damon!" She exclaimed, slapping him on the arm. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a scolding look. "You were supposed to be chasing me."

"I was." He said and gave her that wonderful smirk of his. "And now I've caught you!" He reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, eliciting another shriek.

Chelsea batted at his arm and he let her go free. She crawled to the opposite end of the tree-house and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Half-naked already?" He teased, nodding to her bare feet. "I've only just got here."

"If you had taken any longer, I might have been completely nude." She joked back, causing him to blush. "Don't worry, there's still time for you to catch up."

Damon went straight to removing his shoes and socks to match Chelsea's demeanor. He refused to look at her as he did it though. He felt a bit exposed following her frank comment.

Damon admired how blithe and honest she was. Since the day she had arrived in Mystic Falls, she was the talk of the town. Everyone whom had met her had told him how rude and improper she had been. 'And I thought the British were supposed to be more refined than we!' They would say. Damon was dying to know what bawdy conversation she could possibly be carrying on, and he didn't have to wait long. After being turned out of the Forbes's home for embarrassing the family, Chelsea arrived at the Salvatore boarding house.

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><p>Damon's first encounter with Chelsea was a mere hour before they were to have dinner with the rest of his family. Chelsea had 'borrowed' a carriage to come over to the Salvatore home early. In her defense, the carriage was waiting to take her there anyway, but she had decided to be the one to drive it.<p>

Damon and his younger brother, Stefan, were playing a game of football with their vivacious houseguest, Katherine when a carriage approached. Abandoning their game to investigate their unexpected visitor, they were shocked to see a lady driving a stage by herself. The coach came to a stop and Damon stepped forward to help the woman down. Holding his hand, she hopped off the edge and landed on her feet in front of him, his tentative hand on her waist.

"Hello, sir!" She said excitedly. "I'm a bit early but I wanted a chance to meet everyone before our mouths are all full of food."

Stefan expressed his surprise to Katherine, whom returned his look with one of disgust. Damon just looked at the girl in wonder. His mind hadn't gotten far enough to process what she had just said; he was still taking in her appearance. She had long, wavy, red hair and bright blue eyes, and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. She was beautiful. Her lips were painted red and they began to move, breaking Damon out of his musing.

"I'm Chelsea. Chelsea Tate." She stated, sticking her hand out to be shaken.

Damon, being a gentleman, turned the back of her hand up and leaned in to lay a light kiss on it.

"I'm Damon Salvatore." He said, returning to his full height. "That's my brother, Stefan, and our houseguest, Katherine Pierce."

"It's nice to meet you all." Chelsea said. "Have you been with the Salvatores long, Katherine?"

"Long enough," Katherine answered. "And it's Miss Pierce to you. Don't presume we are friends because Mr. Salvatore extended his hospitality to you as well."

"I don't," Chelsea replied, stepping forward. "I just believe that one should not be addressed like a lady until she has earned the title."

"I agree… Chelsea." Katherine spat.

"Ladies!" Stefan interrupted. "Shall we make our way inside for dinner?"

"Certainly. Mr. Salvatore," Katherine broke her gaze from Chelsea and wrapped her hand around Stefan's elbow. "Would you escort me inside?"

"Of course, Miss Pierce." Stefan replied and they began towards the house.

"Damon," Chelsea said in a taunting tone, causing Katherine to stop in her tracks. "Would you care to escort me to dinner?"

"I would love to." Damon answered, suppressing a smirk at the girl's boldness.

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><p>The sun was setting quickly. The little shred of daylight that was left was tinted pink, creating a romantic setting for the two of them. Chelsea gave a little shiver and Damon wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his side. He ran his hand up and down her arm as she rested her head on his shoulder. They looked out onto the field and the setting sun, enjoying the silence and each other's company.<p>

"How long do you think it will be before your father realizes where we are?" Chelsea finally asked.

"He's forgotten this place even exists." Damon mused. "I imagine we could just live up here forever and he would never bother us."

"He would think we just disappeared!" Chelsea laughed.

"Let him think what he will!" Damon exclaimed, standing with his hands on his hips. "We'll run away to the trees and get married and live happily ever after!"

Chelsea giggled into her hands, trying to hide the strange blush that arose on her face at Damon's words. She knew they were just joking around, but she feared he would figure out that she wanted it to be true. Regaining her composure, she stood before him.

"And a squirrel shall marry us," She said, adding to the silliness of their conversation. "And the birds will be our servants."

She looked up at Damon, but his expression had changed. He looked serious and thoughtful.

"I'm sorry, Damon, how inappropriate of me. We won't have any servants; the birds don't deserve such treatment." She said, trying to lighten the mood.

Damon was still staring at her though.

"What?" She began to say, but she was interrupted with his lips meeting hers.

It only took a moment for the shock to wear off. It was not the first time Chelsea had kissed a boy, but it was the first time it had ever felt so wonderful. She wrapped her arms around Damon's neck and began to his him back. His arms encircled her waist and they were both lost in each other for a moment.

"Brother!" Stefan called from the base of the tree, causing the two to break apart.

They could hear Stefan begin to climb the ladder up to them and Chelsea rushed to put her stockings back on, lest Stefan get the wrong idea and report back to his father.

"It is almost time for dinner." He said as his head appeared in the entrance way. "Father wants to know if you'll be joining us."

"I would love to, Stefan." Chelsea said, grabbing Stefan's attention. "You know you don't have to ask."

Stefan began to say something, but stopped himself and just shook his head. He began to descend when Damon called his name. They shared a look and Chelsea watched the two, confused.

"I won't say anything." Stefan finally stated before dropping down into the grass and walking away.


	2. Chapter 2

**So I got a few reviews on the first part of this, but mostly, the character and the story were stuck in my head. I wanted to back and have more interactions with Damon. So for those who read the first, here's chapter 2, and here's hoping this turns into a good story. **

**As you might have already gathered from the first chapter, it's not being told in order. I'm definitely going to get into present day within the next few chapters, maybe sooner. I have a general idea for a story, so we'll see what happens.**

**If you love it, review it!**

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><p>"Miss Tate," Giuseppe Salvatore broke the silence. "What brings you to Mystic Falls?"<p>

Chelsea and Katherine had both been seated by the Salvatore brothers and the four had since been dining with the head of the house in an uncomfortable silence. Katherine sent several threatening stares in Chelsea direction. Chelsea ate her meal as if nothing was amiss. Damon and Stefan kept their eyes on their plates, not wanting to get involved. Sensing the unrest amongst his guests, Giuseppe decided to be a good host and get to know Miss Tate.

"Intercourse." Chelsea stated.

Mr. Salvatore dropped his fork with a clang and Stefan choked on his water. Chelsea scooped up a forkful of mashed potatoes and continued eating.

"I beg your pardon?" Mr. Salvatore asked. "Did you say intercourse?"

"Yes," Chelsea replied. "I have an aunt in Intercourse, Pennsylvania. She passed through here when she came over from London. She said she remembered Mystic Falls in particular because of its beautiful name and lovely foliage."

Damon covered his mouth with his napkin, concealing the laugh that was threatening to come out. There was a moment of silence as everyone took in the unexpected explanation.

"Well," Katherine finally spoke up. "I don't know why someone would want to give a town such an embarrassing name; making anyone who says it sound like a tactless fool."

"I'm glad to hear your aunt spoke so fondly of our little town." Giuseppe said, ignoring Katherine's obvious jab at Chelsea.

"How long are you staying with us?" Stefan asked.

"Yes," Katherine added. "There are other people who would like to stay at the boarding house."

"Katherine, if you've already grown tired of the Salvatore's hospitality, you should just say as much." Chelsea jibed. "I would be more than happy to trade places with you."

Katherine opened and closed her mouth a few times, making no sound.

"Miss Tate," Damon started, speaking for the first time since they sat down to dinner. "May I take you on a tour of the grounds?"

"Of course!" Chelsea answered, tossing her napkin onto the table and rising. "Thank you for a lovely dinner, Mr. Salvatore."

She gave Katherine a sardonic smile and the two exited.

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><p>"I've never seen Miss Pierce speechless before." Damon commented as they came out onto the patio.<p>

The sun had set completely since they went in for dinner and the maids had lit torches throughout the garden. Each perfectly pruned bush was highlighted with golden light. Looking out onto the spacious property, it appeared as if there were dozens of large fireflies floating amongst the flora.

"I think Miss Katherine is used to having people bend to her will." Chelsea retorted, striding to the edge of the patio and resting her hands on the stone railing. She looked out to the garden as Damon joined her. "People are too polite, I think."

"Why is that?" Damon asked, his attention completely on her face, the torches giving its contours a warm glow.

"I do think it is proper and polite to say 'please' and 'thank you' and such." She began, her face contorting as she worked out the thoughts in her head. "However, I think when you keep your beliefs and opinions to yourself for fear of offending another, you are relinquishing control. It's not polite, it's foolish. You allow yourself to be one's puppet; at their will. America did not free itself from our grasp with such an attitude. To sacrifice the ideas that make you unique and interesting because someone might not like it, is to lose your whole identity. Where's the fun that?"

Damon turned his gaze out to the garden, considering what Chelsea had just said. He had to agree with her, people were always doing things just to appease each other, whether they agreed with it or not. He looked back at Chelsea out of the corner of his eye. She had this look on her face like she was deep in thought about what she had just said. He had never seen a girl give so much consideration to anything, and he could tell that she meant every word of it.

"That's why I think Katherine is a twit." She continued, causing him to chuckle. "She expects everyone to defer to her because she's a lady and it would be the proper thing to do."

"I like that you're not like Katherine." Damon said, feeling empowered by Chelsea's honest opinion.

A slight blush arose on her cheeks, but Damon couldn't see it in the dim lighting of the patio. She wasn't used to people commending her for her 'outbursts', as some liked to call them. That wasn't it, though. Damon was terribly handsome. A girl would have to be blind not to know that.

"You never told us how long you would be staying." Damon prompted after a moment.

"Are you eager to get rid of me already?" She teased, bumping her hip against his.

This seemed to surprise him more than anything that had left her mouth that evening. Infected by her carefree nature, however, Damon stood back and crossed his arms.

"I wanted you gone the moment you got here!" He said, his eyes glinting.

"Fine!" Chelsea said, stomping up to him and crossing her arms as well. "I never liked it here anyway!"

They held each other's serious gaze for a while. Damon began to question whether she was serious, her stare was so intense. Before he could break down and apologize, she doubled over in laughter, grabbing onto his arm to hold herself up. He immediately joined her, both out of the silliness of their mock argument and relief that he hadn't offended her.

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><p>"May I see you tomorrow?" Damon asked as she climbed up into driver's seat of the coach without any help.<p>

Chelsea adjusted in her seat, brushing her hair out of her face and let out a little sigh. Her cheeks were red with the effort of her climb and the slight chill in the air tonight. The trim on her dress was tucked in on itself and her hair was half-out of its ties. She looked disheveled and beautiful all at once. She smiled down at Damon with a twinkle in her eye.

"Try and stop me." She laughed and shook the reigns, taking off down the path.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, sorry for the delay. I had a family emergency, but I'm back and I hope you really enjoy this chapter. Thanks to those who reviewed. **

**To ThisLooksLikeAJobForMe, that was kind of what I had in mind. This chapter just kind of happened with no planning, as does all of my work, but I'm quite positive we will be heading into the present in the next chapter. From there we'll have the occasional flashback to fill in the blanks between Damon and Chelsea's first night in 1864 and their last.**

**So, review if you love it!**

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><p>Chelsea clambered down the tree house ladder and started back towards the house. Damon followed after her but stopped at the base of the tree. She had only gotten about 20 feet away when she turned around and headed back to the tree. She hiked up her skirt, exposing her bare thighs to Damon, whom respectfully turned. She began pulling her cage crinoline back on and noticed Damon peeking back at her as she strapped it back on.<p>

"If you're going to look, then look." Chelsea said, catching his gaze. "If I cared, I wouldn't be dressing in front of you."

Unsure, Damon turned his full attention to her, but she was already smoothing her skirt down, once again hiding the smooth porcelain complexion of her legs.

"I didn't want to be impolite." He immediately regretted his words as they left his mouth. He knew how she felt about such thinking.

She shot him a disproving look and took off once again for the Salvatore home. Damon joined her but soon fell behind a few steps. She always walked so quickly. You had to double your pace just to keep up with her. As they made their way across the field, Damon stole glances at her, trying to determine her mood. She had never become cross with him, but there was a first time for everything. He still felt slightly embarrassed at being caught looking. Then again, it was a bit embarrassing for him to have seen a woman so exposed. Of course, he was used to Chelsea removing her stockings when they were alone but he had never seen her legs above the knee, and even that was considered improper. Because of this, he was positive that if she was upset with him, it would be over what he had said and not what he had done.

Chelsea could feel his eyes on her. She was used to people staring, but for far different reasons. She didn't want to say anything to discourage him; she reveled in the looks that he gave her. Inside, she was still floating over their kiss. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to just turn to him and continue where they left off. She felt herself become flushed at the thought and fought to shake it out of her head. She needed to at least look at him, especially when she could see out of her periphery that he was looking at her too. Finally giving in, she turned her head in his direction and took a mental picture of his face before turning back. She sped up, losing him behind her. She didn't want him to see the huge grin that had spread across her face. She was fighting the urge to giggle. When she had looked at Damon, he had noticed and he blushed. This always amused her.

She felt that, with all others, Damon was rather unflappable. With her, however, it made her quite proud to know she could get to him every now and then. Overcome by her enjoyment, she decided she needed to share this with him. Chelsea stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. He stopped as well, right in front of her, confused. She popped up onto her tiptoes and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek.

"I love that I can make you blush so." She told him. "It happens so seldom."

Damon, relieved to know she was not upset with him, aimed to return the favor.

"I love that a woman so beautiful can also be so bold as to make a man blush." He replied.

This had the desired effect as she looked away and her cheeks turned a deep red. Damon was no fool. She may be confident and clever and brave, but she was still a girl. She still blushed when he told her she was beautiful, even though he had said as much since they had first met.

"And I love that I am the only man that can do the same to you."

Chelsea gave a small smile as her face flushed even more. Finally, top it all off, Damon leaned down and placed a sweet kiss on her cheek. As he pulled away, she gave him a light slap on his arm.

"Stop that, you!" She chided, with a smirk on her face.

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><p>Dinner was uneventful. Katherine kissed up to Giuseppe, Stefan mooned over Katherine, and Damon and Chelsea were making faces at each other across the table. Each was trying to get the other to laugh. So far, it was a stalemate. This went on unnoticed for the duration of dinner, but as dessert was served, Giuseppe turned his attention to Damon to ask him a question. At that exact moment, Damon had his face contorted in a demonic manner with his tongue sticking out.<p>

"Damon, what are you doing?" His father questioned.

Everyone's attention turned to Damon and Chelsea, whom was looking perfectly innocent. Damon returned his tongue to his mouth and looked back at his father.

"Why are you making such unpleasant faces at Miss Tate?" Giuseppe continued.

Before Damon could come up with a response, there was a loud sputtering noise as Chelsea broke out into uncontrollable laughter. Eventually regaining her composure, she took a sip of water and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me." She said at last, standing and exiting for the terrace.

Katherine, rather perturbed at the disturbance, took this chance to pick up her conversation with Giuseppe. This effectively distracted him from any further questioning of Damon. Damon, taking his chance, stood and followed after Chelsea.

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><p>Chelsea was perched on the railing, smiling to herself over the exchange at dinner. She heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Damon with a smug grin on his face. She loved how emotive his face was. She could always tell how he felt just by looking at how his features were composed at any given moment.<p>

"I won." He said as he leaned against the railing, next to her.

Chelsea smirked at how cocky he sounded as he said that. There was something about that side of him that made her sort of giddy. Taking advantage of being alone, she looped her arm with his and looked up at him.

"And what would you like your prize to be?" She asked, excited at what his answer might be.

He seemed to consider for a moment before looking down at her and answering.

"Let me be your escort to the Masquerade."

Chelsea removed her arm from his and looked out to garden. She wanted to remember every detail of it. She wanted to remember every detail of Damon.

"I can't." She answered, her face looking forlorn.

"Why not?" He asked, concerned over her sudden change in disposition.

"I'll be leaving in a week's time." She looked up at him with the same devastation that now painted Damon's face. "I'm going back to London."

"Can't you stay a while longer?" Damon pleaded.

"I wish I could. But I'm still a ward of my mother. I'm being forced to marry. If I don't, I'll have nowhere else to go."

"You could stay here!" Damon tried to convince her. "You could stay at the boarding house. You don't have to leave."

"Everyone in this town but you has already agreed I've overstayed my welcome. Your father is afraid of me. He would never do anything to help me gain permanent residency here." Chelsea reasoned. She could see the heartbreak in Damon's face. She hated herself for having to do this to him. "I have to go"

She took off through the back door and she was gone. Damon looked on for a long time in misery, replaying their conversation in his head. The more he thought about it, the more his grief turned into anger. How could she just give in like that? She was such a fighter. Now, all of a sudden, she was just going to submit to someone else's will? How could she do that to him?

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><p>The week came and went with no sign of Chelsea. She had decided to take the rest of her meals at the boarding house. She didn't know how to approach Damon after shattering everything that had happened between them over the past several months. Meanwhile, Damon did not pursue her. He was too angry with her at first. If she was going to give in so easily, maybe she didn't want to stay here anyway, so why bother? As the week came to a close, however, his anger dissipated and he began to miss her presence.<p>

It was her final day in Mystic Falls, and Chelsea took a stage over to the Salvatore home to say goodbye to everyone and thank Giuseppe for his kindness. When she arrived, everyone was standing in front of the house, waiting for her. Damon, for once, had an unreadable expression. She went up to each of them and exchanged goodbyes.

"I'm glad to finally be rid of you." Katherine whispered as she and Chelsea shared a light hug.

"One more week and I would've driven you out of town." Chelsea replied.

"We will miss you greatly." Stefan said, laying a chaste kiss on the back of her hand.

Chelsea smiled in return and focused her attention on Giuseppe.

"Thank you for inviting me into your home, Mr. Salvatore." She said.

"It was our pleasure." Giuseppe forced out. "If you should ever return to Mystic Falls, you know you are welcome to stay with us again."

Damon stepped up to Chelsea but looked over to the others.

"May I have a moment, father?" He asked.

"Of course." Giuseppe answered, eyeing the two before ushering Stefan and Katherine inside.

Once they were alone, Chelsea looked up at Damon, afraid of what he would say. She couldn't tell how he was feeling and that scared her.

"I hate that you're giving up." He finally said with great effort.

"As do I," was all she could say.

They stared at each other for what felt like hours. Chelsea finally registered the hurt in his eyes. It broke her heart to see him so and she had to avert her gaze. Feeling tears spring to her eyes, she reached up and kissed his lips.

"I love you." She whispered before stepping back.

She turned back toward the carriage and got in, not sparing another look at him. She was afraid that if she did, she would lose it altogether. The carriage took off down the path and Damon finally found his voice.

"I love you, too." Damon watched as the coach disappeared from sight. He was glued to the spot, hoping that any moment now, it would return and she would tell him she was staying after all.

However, she never came back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! So, we're in the present now. This chapter takes place between The Return and Masquerade. I struggled a bit with this chapter because I've never written something while trying to have it conincide with the actual scripted scenes, so it was a challenge. Please forgive any mistakes or jumps in the story because of it. Anyway, enjoy!**

**And review it if you love it.**

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><p>There was silence in the Gilbert house. Everyone was still out for the Founder's Day Parade, except John. He crossed the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. Finding what he was looking for, he closed it again and jumped with a start. Standing behind the once open door was his niece, Elena.<p>

"You scared me." He said, continuing what he was previously doing.

"Sorry." The girl stated simply.

"Is Jenna home?" He inquired.

"She had to meet the fire chief about the building." Elena informed him. "She doesn't know the truth, they had covered that up."

"Yeah, I know. How's Jeremy?"

"Holed up in his room." Elena answered, moving across the kitchen and beginning her own food preparations.

"Can I help?" John placed his hand on the counter beside her.

"Sure." She replied, grabbing a kitchen knife and lopping off his fingers. She flipped their positions so that she had him pinned against the sink.

"Katherine!" He said in shock.

"Hello, John." Katherine greeted, her eyes growing dark. "Goodbye, John."

As she began to dig into him, John looked past her to see another woman standing at the opposite end of the kitchen, watching with mild annoyance. He had never seen her before, but her hair was the most striking shade of red. And then, the world went black.

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><p>The old Stingray rumbled into the driveway, parking next to a black SUV. The lights were on in the large house. Whoever this friend of Sophie's was, they had gotten here before Chelsea.<p>

Chelsea had decided to take a five year vacation in New York. It had been a decade or two since she had been in the states, and her life had been pretty dull lately, so she took up Sophie's offer to stay at her place in the Hamptons for a while.

She had met Sophie in Italy around 1940. Back then, she was known as Sofia Rittoli, a sultry Italian vamp who enjoyed kidnapping and compelling American soldiers. The raven-haired beauty had run into Chelsea while they were both on the hunt. The two were instantly enamored with each other. It was Sofia who taught Chelsea to be a controlled killer, and it was Chelsea that seduced Sofia with thoughts of America. After the war, Chelsea returned to the U.K. and Sofia moved to New York, where she changed her name to Sophie Wright. Chelsea made it a point to visit Sophie every time she was in the states.

Sophie had called Chelsea about a week before and told her to stop by and stay a while. She also said that she had a friend who needed some manpower, and she had put Chelsea's name up for the position. Now, here she was, pulling up to her old friend's house to meet some mysterious stranger who wanted her help.

Chelsea stepped out of her car and headed towards the door, her boots clocking on the stone path. The door opened before she reached it and Sophie's lithe figure was silhouetted in the doorway.

"Chelsea!" Sophie exclaimed, pronouncing her name 'Chel-see-ah'.

Chelsea picked up her pace and met her on the front step. The two exchanged a big hug and sweet kiss on the lips.

"Please, come inside! I want you to meet our guest. She's been dying to meet you."

They entered the house, Chelsea following behind Sophie and occasionally nipping her waist as they wound their way through the hallway. As they came upon the sitting room, Sophie stopped in the doorframe and announced their presence to her guest.

"Darling, Chelsea's here." Sophie said, tugging Chelsea into the room.

Perched on the settee before them was a petite woman with thick, curly brown hair. Upon seeing her, Chelsea stopped dead in her tracks and could only stare. The woman looked up at Chelsea with only an instant of shock in her face before masking it with a complacent smile.

"Chelsea, I'd like you to meet your new boss," Sophie continued. "Katherine Pierce."

"So nice to see you again, Chelsea."

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><p>The women were all seated now, each with a glass of wine. There was a palpable tension in the room. Chelsea couldn't say she was too surprised to know that Katherine was a vampire, but she hadn't known until tonight. She was still trying to gather her thoughts, especially since she had signed up to work for the wench now.<p>

"So, how do the two of you know each other?" Sophie broke the silence.

"Oh, I knew Chelsea when she was still human." Katherine mused.

"Oh, I'm jealous!" Sophie gushed. "We only met during World War II. What was she like as a human?"

"She was so insolent with me. I don't know why, I always thought we could be friends." Katherine teased.

"Well, Kathy." Chelsea started. "We've got all the time in the world now. Shall we start braiding each other's hair and practice kissing with our pillows?"

Katherine simply glared at Chelsea, tearing her throat out with her eyes. Chelsea reciprocated the look. The last person Katherine wanted on this mission was Chelsea-fucking-Tate, but she was elated at the fact that she was going to be the one to give Chelsea the surprise of a lifetime. Sophie looked on in discomfort as the two stared each other down. Katherine was the first to break her gaze.

"Look, I hate your fucking guts, but I need someone who's really good at getting in and out of places unnoticed." Katherine conceded. "Sophie says you're the best girl for the job."

"It sounds like you need me." Chelsea commented.

Katherine struggled for a moment, not wanting to dignify Chelsea's statement with a response.

"Maybe." She finally spat out.

"Tell you what," Chelsea said, dragging out her answer as slow as possible. "If you constantly remind me how much you need my help, then I'll go continue to go along with you. Deal?"

Katherine once again tried not to answer. She sent every last ounce of hate towards Chelsea, but the girl never backed down. Suddenly realizing the true advantage she had over Chelsea, she answered.

"Deal."

"Good." Chelsea smiled. "So, where are we headed?"

"Mystic Falls." Katherine replied, an evil grin creeping across her face.

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><p>The girl was asleep. Katherine said her name was Caroline and she was one of Elena's friends. Chelsea really didn't know what Katherine had against the girl. Her best guess was that she didn't like the fact that someone else had her face. Katherine was nothing if not selfish. Chelsea knew that since the moment they met. The hostility between them had always been because Katherine desired both Damon and Stefan for herself. Now they were gone and she could have neither. The blonde teen shot up in her bed and noticed to two older vamps standing on either side of her bed. She regarded Chelsea with a curious glance before turning her attention to Katherine.<p>

"Elena?"

"Nope, try again." Katherine grinned.

"Katherine." Caroline said in resignation.

Katherine flopped herself down on the bed, causing the girl to recoil. Caroline looked to the silent, redheaded woman in fear.

"Don't be frightened." Katherine laughed. "We're going to have so much fun together."

* * *

><p>She was sick of it! Chelsea paced back and forth in the small motel room, building up steam as she went. Katherine had been running around for weeks, terrorizing these teenagers and Chelsea was forced to sit on the sidelines. She was beginning to wonder why Katherine needed her so badly in the first place. Sure, she had been some help in sneaking into certain places when Katherine as Elena just didn't cut it, but really, she could've done just fine without Chelsea. And now, she was going to some masquerade with her witch friend and claimed she had no use for Chelsea. She was beginning to think the whole thing was just an excuse to mess with her. Why bother, though? The source of their rivalry was long gone. She was tired of sitting around and waiting for the go ahead. She was going to go to this party and find Katherine and stake to bitch for wasting her time.<p>

Lockwood Manor was simple enough to find. It wasn't the original estate from back in the day, but it was all lit up and the entire town seemed to be there tonight. She drove up the long driveway and allowed the valet to take her car. She climbed the steps, lifting the front of her dress to keep from tripping. She always packed dresses just in case she was invited to such an event. The mask, however, she picked up at party store along the way. She entered the house with ease and began her search for Katherine. What made her the expert of getting in and out of places was her ability to enter homes without an invitation. She didn't know why she was blessed with this, but it had helped her many a time over the years.

Moving easily through the crowd, she eventually spotted Lucy, Katherine's witch. She began moving towards the woman when Lucy noticed her and made her way up the stairs. Chelsea followed her but was slowed down by the crowd. After a bit of a struggle, she made it to the stairs and could hear Lucy speaking to Katherine at the end of the hall. She saw Lucy standing in a doorway.

"You should've told me another witch was involved." Lucy stated. "She's a Bennett witch, Katherine. But I'm sure you knew that."

"Wait, Elena!" A male voice said.

"Elena's fine." Lucy said. "The spell is broken. She'll heal quickly, Bonnie's with her."

There was a thud as someone fell to the floor.

"By the way, Katherine, she's here." Lucy said. She turned and headed back down the hallway when she saw Chelsea at the other end. "I won't stop you." She told the woman.

Chelsea continued down the hall, ready to take on this bitch. She turned the corner into the room and looked at the two men in the room with an unconscious Katherine. If her heart were beating it would've stopped at that moment. As if in a watery dream, her hand floated up to slide the mask off her face, her gaze never leaving the man before her.

"Damon?" She choked out in disbelief.

Damon stared at the woman before him as she removed her mask, unable to believe that she was really standing there. Then she spoke and he was sure.

"Chelsea." He said so softly only vampires could hear.


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry for the wait, guys! For a while, I wasn't sure how I wanted to proceed. But then I read the transcript for Masquerade and I got hit with some inspiration. So here's chapter 5. Hope you guys are still liking it, and please review!**

* * *

><p>They held each other's gaze for what felt like an eternity, barely acknowledging Stefan as he stepped across their path.<p>

"I better find Elena." He said, rushing out of the room.

Chelsea was awestruck at the man before her. He hadn't aged a day since she had seen him last. His hair and clothes were different, but his face was exactly the same. She never imagined she would get to see that perfect face again. However, there was a change in his eyes. The same piercing blue as always, they lacked the warm gleam they once had. There was so much pain behind his eyes; she couldn't even begin to make sense of it all.

Damon took a tentative step forward, unsure of what he was seeing. After all those years and all those memories locked up in the back of his mind, was it finally betraying him? Was she just an apparition? Her porcelain skin was even paler than it had been back then. That was how he knew she was truly standing in front of him- in the only way she possibly could: Chelsea was a vampire, too.

"You're supposed to be dead." He felt the urge to state, for lack of anything better.

"So are you." Her red painted lips curled around the words.

Chelsea took a tentative step toward him, terrified that any movement was bound to make him run or disappear or become anyone other than Damon. But he didn't; he remained where he stood, staring awestruck at her, and no doubt mirroring her own expression.

"What happened to you?" He hushed, seeming to ask the question more to himself than to her.

"That's a long story." She glanced at the wall behind him, feeling unexplainable guilt at not finding him sooner.

Had she only known, she would have been at his side in an instant, but there was no way she ever could have guessed that both she and Damon would become vampires. Chelsea was overcome with the strongest urge to close the distance between them and give him a long-awaited kiss. Something stopped her though. There was an obvious change in him, a darkness she had never seen before. She felt evermore drawn to him because of his mysterious new demeanor, but she was confused by its presence in the kind man she once fell in love with. He was not the same, which was clear. Did he still love her? Without realizing it, they had both gravitated toward one another, only a foot remaining between them.

"You look so different." She wondered, her hand unconsciously rising up to touch his face.

Damon turned his head away from the gesture, his gaze landing on Katherine.

"I should move her before she wakes up." Any traces of emotion were removed from his voice, but Chelsea could still see that pain lingering in his eyes.

"I'll help." She said and moved to grab Katherine's ankles.

* * *

><p>Katherine awoke with a start on the dirt floor of the tomb, gasping for breath. Looking about, she recognized the object on the floor beside her. Grasping to moonstone, she stood and rushed toward to entrance, ready to make a quick getaway but was denied by an invisible force. At that moment, Damon moved into view, Chelsea standing a few steps behind him. They caught each other's eyes for a moment, neither giving away her secrets.<p>

"Hello, Katherine." Damon greeted.

"Where am I?" She demanded.

"Where you should have been all along. I thought you'd learn your lesson by now, messing with a Bennett witch."

"You should have killed me."

"Death would've been too kind." He told her and began to move a large stone door in front of the entrance.

"No, Damon, don't." Katherine began to panic. "Damon, don't. You need me, Elena's in danger."

This caused Damon to pause for a moment.

"From whom?" He asked with caution. Katherine didn't respond.

"She's lying." Chelsea spoke up. "All she's done since we've gotten here is terrorize Elena and her friends."

"Why do you think I haven't killed her?" Katherine argued. "Because she's the doppelganger, she needs to be protected."

"Then I'll protect her," Damon answered with resolution. "While you rot in hell."

"Damon, don't! I'll do anything, please." Katherine begged as he began closing the stone door once more. "You need me!"

Chelsea watched in silence as Katherine was closed up in the tomb, feeling no remorse for the older vampire's fate. Damon turned to her, hurt written all over his features. There was more to the story than just she and him.

"What happened to you?" She whispered, echoing the question he had asked earlier.

Damon regarded his shoes for a moment, the memories of Katherine's time after Chelsea left playing fresh in his mind. It was becoming more and more clear that whatever he had felt for Katherine wasn't as real as he had once believed. Now, with Chelsea standing right before him, he was flooded with emotions he had long suppressed, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to feel them again. Damon looked back up at Chelsea. Her skin almost seemed to glow against the dark of the church. There was something different about her that he couldn't put his finger on. She looked up at him with those bright blue eyes, imploring. Surely she must've changed after all this time. Who was she now? Why had she waited until now to return to Mystic Falls? He had no way of knowing what had happened to her between the time she had left and the she was turned. He had no way of knowing if she had even spared him another thought, like Katherine.

"Where are you staying?" He asked, wanting to break her warm gaze off of him.

She realized she had been staring at him, in anticipation of his response. She bit her lip and looked off to the exit of the church.

"At a hotel outside of town." She said. "Apparently, I wasn't really an important part of Katherine's operation."

Damon didn't say anything for a moment; he just looked out in the same direction she was, as if they could actually see the hotel from where they stood.

"You can stay at the boarding house." He finally spoke. "In your old room, if you like."

* * *

><p>Stepping into the Boarding House and especially into the room the she had once stayed in, Chelsea was hit with a wave of memories. None of them took place here, of course, but she had spent many a night in this room recounting the events of the day. Damon had driven her back to the Lockwood mansion to get her car. She had then returned to the hotel to grab her things and traveled down the now-paved roads of Mystic Falls to the Salvatore Boarding House- a journey she could have made with her eyes closed.<p>

Stepping out of the en suite bathroom, Chelsea wrapped a fluffy towel around her frame and made her way to the suitcase on her bed. She pulled out a pair of pajama shorts, a tank top, and a bra, prepared to get ready for bed. She was interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Come in!" She called and continued to dig in her suitcase for a hairbrush.

"Would you like to-" She heard Damon begin behind her. When he didn't continue, Chelsea turned to look at him.

"Would I what?" She asked, then began to laugh when she noted to expression on Damon's face. "Oh, come now, Damon. Don't tell me after 140-something years you haven't seen a woman naked, let alone in a towel."

Damon suddenly felt at ease at Chelsea's lack of modesty. She apparently hadn't changed that much.

"Well," He began with a devilish quirk of his brow. "I didn't know when I came in here that I was gonna get a free show."

A blush rose to Chelsea's face at the seductive look in his eye and she turned away. She knew he couldn't see it but she still felt embarrassed. She grabbed her clothes from the bed and entered the bathroom.

"So, what did you want to ask?" She called from behind the door.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to have a drink downstairs." Damon said back, turning his head toward the bathroom door.

"Sure." She answered.

There was a moment of silence before Chelsea emerged once more from the bathroom, now dressed in her pajamas. Damon took in this new sight with pleasure. Her shorts rode high on her thighs, leaving her legs bare. He had seen those legs so many times before that it was like seeing an old friend. Her tank top hugged her curves and dipped low in the front, showing off her ample cleavage.

"You've gotten bold, Damon." Chelsea chided, following his gaze to her breasts. "I have a feeling it's going to be much harder to make you blush now."

"You're welcome to try." He said with a wicked smirk, his eyes meeting hers again.

* * *

><p>Damon poured two glasses of whiskey from the decanter on the bar. Picking them up, he turned toward the couches resting before the fireplace. Chelsea was lounging along one. He handed her a glass and sat down on the couch opposite. They both gazed off into the fire for a while. Chelsea turned her attention to Damon and took in his features for a moment, glowing in the firelight.<p>

"What did happen to you?" She asked.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?" He glanced at her before turning his gaze back to the fire.

"The short version if it's easier for you."

"After you left, I began fighting with Stefan for Katherine's attention. She was using both of us, it turns out. We thought we loved her." Chelsea winced at his words. "Our father and all the founding families captured all the families and locked them in the church and razed it. We tried to rescue Katherine from being caught but our father killed us for betraying him."

He paused a moment to let Chelsea absorb his words. She had never known the depths of Giuseppe's inhumanity.

"The vampires survived though. Emily put a spell on the tomb beneath the church, trapping them inside but saving them from burning to death. I spent 145 years thinking Katherine was in that tomb, waiting for me to come rescue her. Turns out she's been free this whole time."

"Damon," Chelsea started. "I could've told you that Katherine didn't give a shit about anybody but herself. In fact, I could've told you that 145 years ago."

Damon looked taken aback at Chelsea's bluntness for a moment. Then he chuckled.

"I wish you would've." He said. "You're the only one who ever told me the straight truth about anything."

She gave him a small smile and took a sip of her whiskey.

"So then, how did you come to be helping Katherine in her escapades?" He asked.

"Pure accident and coincidence." Chelsea answered. "An old friend of mine said she knew someone who was looking for a little bit of manpower. I agreed to help. I wanted to back out when I discovered it was Katherine, but I figured whatever beef we had was in the past."

Damon snorted at the idea.

"When she told me we were going to Mystic Falls, I knew I had to come along… I had planned to find your grave."

"But instead, you found me." Damon remarked.

"Instead, I found you." She mused.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! So, I went a little longer without posting than I originally wanted to. My friends were visiting me for New Years so all of my writing kind of took a backseat. BUT now that we're on track with the show, chapters are going to be a lot longer, starting with this one! **

**Incorporating Chelsea into the pre-existing story has been a new and challenging experience for me, especially the fight scene with Elijah in this chapter. I'm no good at action sequences so bear with me. Anyways, please REVIEW if you love it!**

* * *

><p>Chelsea opened her eyes, blinking in the sunlight. She stretched her arms above her and took in a deep breath. Last night had been a shock, to say the least. Damon was alive and handsome as ever… and different. She couldn't deny that she kind of liked it. After their late night conversation however, she wasn't sure where they stood with each other, especially with his recent quashed feelings for Katherine.<p>

With a sigh, Chelsea slid out of bed and opened her suitcase, pulling out a set of clothes. She donned a pair of skinny jeans and a new tank top. She slid on her old leather boots and made her way to the hallway, heading downstairs. Damon was standing in the kitchen, sipping some blood. He lifted his gaze to her as she entered.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." He said. "It's almost noon. I was beginning to think you were dead for real this time."

"Have you got another of those?" Chelsea nodded her head to the blood bag, ignoring Damon's comment.

Damon picked up an unopened bag from the island next to him and tossed it to her. Catching it, she crossed the kitchen and hopped up onto the spot the blood bag had sat. The two sat for a few moments in silence, enjoying their blood. In her periphery, Chelsea could see Damon stealing glances at her. She smirked and turned to face him. No sooner had she opened her mouth to speak than his phone went off. Damon opened it and read the text.

"Stefan's at lunch." He said more to himself. "I have to go talk to him."

Damon walked to the door then spun back around as if a thought had just occurred to him. Chelsea looked up at him with a curious expression.

"Do you wanna come with me?" He asked.

"What's going on?" She said, jumping off the counter.

"Elena's missing. I'll explain on the way."

"I'll get my coat."

* * *

><p>"I didn't think werewolves were even around anymore." Chelsea mused, having been brought up to speed with all the goings-on in Mystic Falls. "Have you any idea who might've taken Elena?"<p>

What was Chelsea getting herself into? A werewolf, a baby vamp, a girl who was a magnet for trouble. It was like a supernatural soap opera. At least Katherine was locked up where she belonged.

"Who knows." Damon said. "It seems like we make a new enemy every week."

* * *

><p>"This has Katherine written all over it." Stefan said.<p>

Damon and Chelsea had met him outside of the school. It was odd to hear Stefan talk about Katherine with such distaste. He had once been so fond of her. At least the boy had come to his senses.

"Katherine's in the tomb." Damon reassured. "Trust me. I'm the one that shut her in."

"Did you?" Stefan challenged, stepping up to his brother.

"Did I what, Stefan?"

"Well, I know the hold that Katherine has on you."

"She's in the tomb." Chelsea interrupted, feeling uneasy with Stefan's suggestion. "Take my word for it, at least."

Stefan relented at her words and turned his back to them.

"But she did say something to me right before I shut her in." Damon said to himself. "I thought she was lying."

This caught Stefan's attention. Chelsea knew what Damon was referring to. She now felt like an ass for not listening either. How could they have known? Katherine always lied.

"What did she say?" Stefan demanded.

"Elena's in danger." Chelsea said with reluctance.

"What? And you didn't think you should ask her to elaborate?" Stefan looked between the two of them, annoyed.

"Everything she says is a lie!" Damon defended. "How did I know she was gonna start spouting out the truth?"

"We have to go talk to her." Stefan said.

"No, no. Let me tell you how that's gonna go." Damon argued. "We're gonna go ask her for help. She's gonna negotiate her release, which we would be dumb enough to give her and then she's gonna get out and kill us. This is exactly what she wants!"

"I don't really care." Stefan said and took off back toward the school.

"It's a bad idea, Stefan!" Damon called.

"It's Elena."

* * *

><p>"You're not just going to let your brother do something so stupid, are you?" Chelsea demanded as they drove back to the boarding house.<p>

"Why not?" Damon said. "He does stupid shit on a daily basis."

"He could get himself killed. He's your brother. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"He can take care of himself." Damon said. "So, let's just drop it, okay?"

How could Damon just sit back and allow Stefan to put himself at risk by talking to Katherine and trying to find Elena on his own? Damon really had changed, and apparently not all for the better.

"The Damon I used to know would never abandon his brother like this." Chelsea persisted.

"Yeah, well that Damon is dead, sweetheart!" He yelled, growing frustrated with her.

Chelsea didn't say anything; she just stared out the window, watching the trees zoom past. She wasn't at a loss for words, but she was thinking.

"Take me back." She said after a moment.

"What?"

"I want you to take me back to Stefan." She clarified. "If you're not going to help him, then I will. If he's daft enough to get himself into this situation, then he's daft enough to get himself killed too. And then his blood would be on your hands, because you refused to do anything about it."

Damon didn't answer her at first, because part of him knew she was right, and the other part of him was too proud to admit it. Eventually, he pulled over and turned the car around, heading back towards the high school. Chelsea had to suppress a triumphant smirk as he did so.

"Thank you." She said in a soft voice.

* * *

><p>They located Stefan in the history classroom. They could hear him speaking to a girl and another male. 'Elena's brother' Damon had mouthed. The girl, a witch, had tracked Elena's location and Stefan was ready to move out.<p>

"You two go back to your house just in case." They heard Stefan say from the other side of the door. "I'll call you the minute I find her."

"But you can't do this alone." Elena's brother argued.

Damon chose that moment to enter the room. Chelsea rolled her eyes. It was obvious he had been looking for the right moment to make a dramatic entrance.

"He's not." Damon said. "Let's go."

"You're coming with me?" Stefan questioned. "Why?"

Following Damon's theatrical timing, Chelsea stepped into the doorway as well.

"There's safety in numbers, Stefan." She said.

* * *

><p>They were heading towards Reidsville, a small town south of Mystic Falls. They hadn't figured out Elena's exact location yet, but the witch, Bonnie and Elena's brother, Jeremy were working on it. Stefan was riding shotgun next to Stefan. Chelsea sat in the back, rummaging through the weapons they had gathered from the history teacher, Alaric. Apparently, the man was a vampire hunter. And the list of the town's craziness just got longer.<p>

"Alaric sure does like his weapons." Damon commented, noting through the rearview mirror the small container of liquid Chelsea had picked up. "What the hell is that?"

"It's a vervain bomb or a grenade or something like that." Stefan answered, looking back at Chelsea and the item.

"Oh, great!" Chelsea said, dropping the 'vervain bomb' back into the bag.

"Hey, how much further is it?" Stefan asked, changing the subject.

"About eighty miles." Damon said.

"Who do you think took her?" Stefan repeated the same question Chelsea had asked earlier that day.

"Someone from Katherine's past." Damon however, had a better answer this time. "She said she was running from someone… But they got the wrong girl."

"Thank you," Stefan said, looking between Damon and Chelsea. "For helping me."

"You're welcome." Chelsea answered Stefan.

"Can we not do the whole road trip bonding thing?" Damon said, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going. "The cliché of it all makes me itch."

"Oh, come on, Damon." Stefan persisted. "We both know that you being in this car has absolutely nothing to do with me anyway."

"The elephant in the room lets out a mighty roar." Damon quipped.

"The elephant is sitting in the back seat." Stefan warned.

"Excuse me!" Chelsea interrupted. "Can we please not refer to me as an elephant?"

"Let's talk about it." Stefan continued.

"There's nothing to talk about." Damon argued.

"Oh, I don't think so." Chelsea said, hoisting her self forward so she was propped between the two front seats. "There's lots to talk about."

"Don't encourage him." Damon said, giving Chelsea a pleading look.

"Just get it out." Stefan pressed. "I mean, are you in this car because you want to help your little brother save the girl that he loves? Or is it because the girl you love asked you to? Hmm?"

Chelsea was a bit surprised at the bluntness of Stefan's questioning, but now that it was out on the table, she was dying to know the answer. It was a trap, of course. If he said he was just doing Chelsea a favor, he would also be admitting that he still loved her. She watched Damon with bated breath, trying to glean anything from his expression that would lead her to the truth. He remained impassive, however, if not just annoyed.

"I mean, come on. Express yourself." Stefan added. "I happen to like road trip bonding."

"Keep it up, you guys." Damon warned. "I can step out as easily as I stepped in."

"No, you see, that's the beauty of it." Stefan gloated, shooting Chelsea a knowing look. "You can't."

* * *

><p>"We're getting close." Stefan said a short time later. "Jeremy said there's an access road just past marker six."<p>

They had found the location Elena was being held at. It was an old abandoned house in the middle of a field; a perfect location to hide someone away. Damon reached to the backseat and felt around for a blood bag. Helping him, Chelsea picked one up and set it in his hand. Stefan eyed the exchange, his eyes following the movements of the blood. Damon noticed.

"If you want some, just ask." He told Stefan as he began to drink.

"I want some." Stefan said with conviction.

"Aw, it's so sweet." Damon jibed. "You wanna be all big and strong and save your girl. But don't worry; I've got your back. You'll be fine."

"I'm joking." Stefan conceded. "I've been drinking a little every day. I'm slowly increasing my intake and building up my strength."

Satisfied with Stefan's answer, Damon handed over his blood bag. Stefan took it with a smile.

"Does Elena know you're drinking blood?" Damon thought to ask.

"I've been drinking hers." Stefan admitted.

"Hmm, how romantic." Damon said, taken aback by Stefan's response. He took another sip of blood. "Since we're road trip bonding, remember the days when all you lived for was blood?"

This intrigued Chelsea. She sat forward again, anticipating a good story. Stefan was almost the same person she knew back when they were human, so she couldn't begin to imagine him as a ravenous vampire. Damon noted her peaked interest.

"You were the guy who ripped someone apart just for the fun of it." He said for Chelsea's benefit.

Her eyes lit up at the absurdity of the idea and Damon sent her a little smirk.

"You mean when I was more like you?" Stefan challenged.

"Yes, Stefan." Damon pushed back. "Exactly. Back when you put blood into me so I could be a big bad vampire."

Wait, Stefan forced Damon to turn? Now she understood their new dynamic. It was becoming more and more apparent that nothing was the same. Chelsea now realized she needed to throw everything she knew about these boys out the window. She would have to get to know them with a fresh perspective.

"I wonder if Elena would be so quick to open her veins to that guy." Damon continued. "By the way, what happened to that guy? He was a hoot."

"I guess he found something else to live for." Stefan said, giving Chelsea another sober look.

If Stefan knew his brother as well as he claimed he did, then maybe things hadn't changed that much after all. He was giving Chelsea hope, but she wasn't sure if she still wanted it. Damon wasn't Damon anymore.

* * *

><p>They parked further back, behind some trees so they wouldn't be seen.<p>

"The house should be behind those trees." Damon said and Stefan headed off, the bag of weapons slung over his shoulder. "Wait, now I've got a little more experience than you do with these sorts of things."

"So, what's your point?" Stefan asked, stopping to listen.

"My point is: whoever has Elena is probably who was after Katherine in 1864 and before that."

"And?" Stefan asked, undeterred.

"And it puts them at 500 years old and strong." Damon said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah, I'm certain I wanna do this."

"Because if we go in that house, we may not come back out." Damon pressed.

"Alright, then I won't come out." Stefan wouldn't back down.

"Are we just going to stand here with our thumbs up our asses or are we going in?" Chelsea asked, exasperated at the two. "Look, I do this for a living. I'll save your bloody girlfriend."

She pushed past the two men and continued off into the trees, ready to get this over with. Damon and Stefan looked on at her for a moment.

"If you want to stay here, I totally understand." Stefan challenged.

He made a large sweeping gesture with his hand towards the trees. Damon gave him a perturbed look before rolling his eyes and following after Chelsea, Stefan joining him.

* * *

><p>They could hear the voices as soon as they entered the house; a man and two women. One of them was Elena, Chelsea assumed, since she sounded like Katherine.<p>

"Who else is in this house?" The man asked. He was aware of their presence.

"I don't know." The woman replied.

The three split up and spread out to opposite ends of the foyer. When the man and woman approached the room with Elena, they began blurring around the room, confusing Elena's captors.

"Rose?" The man asked, looking around.

"I don't know who it is." Rose pleaded.

"Up here." Stefan called from somewhere upstairs.

The man blurred up the stairs towards him, but was met by another voice back at the bottom of the stairs.

"Down here." Damon taunted.

The man turned, searching for the source of the voice and was met with a small stake shot through his hand. He pulled it out with a tug, a perturbed look on his face. Elena and Rose were gone. Stefan had pulled Elena aside and gestured for her to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Chelsea had apprehended Rose and was holding a hand over the woman's mouth.

"Excuse me!" The man called. "To whom it may concern, you're making a grave mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't. Do you hear that?"

The man walked over to a coat rack and picked it up, then began making his way back to where he previously stood.

"I repeat," the man continued, breaking the coat rack into a jagged stake. "You cannot beat me. I want the girl on the count of three or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?"

Elena broke free of Stefan and moved to the top of the stairs, her arms crossed.

"I'll come with you." She said, getting the man's attention. "Just, please don't hurt my friends. They just wanted to help me out."

The man blurred halfway up the stairs, causing Elena to jump.

"What game are you playing with me?" He challenged.

She uncrossed her arms, revealing a vervain bomb in one hand and threw it at the man. It exploded in his face, leaving shrapnel in his skin. He let out a yell but soon healed. He looked up at the frightened Elena, anger in his face. He began a slow, threatening climb up the stairs, but was deterred by Stefan. Chelsea became distracted by the altercation taking place on the stairs, giving Rose an advantage to strike. She grabbed Chelsea and blurred them so their positions were reversed, and then snapped the younger vampire's neck.

Stefan had some sort of a stake crossbow and kept shooting stakes at the man. It didn't slow him down, however and he tackled Stefan, the two falling to the bottom of the stairs. The man rose and prepared to strike but he was once again stopped by Damon stabbing the coat rack stake through his chest. Damon pushed the man all the back against the front door, pinning him there. The man turned grey and sallow, his head slumping forward. Damon turned and saw Rose standing in the foyer for a moment before blurring away.

"Just let her go." Elena said when he moved to chase her.

"Where's Chelsea?" He asked, confused at how Rose got away.

Elena ignored Damon, happy to be safe, and rushed down the stairs into Stefan's arms. Damon let the couple have their reunion and went in search of Chelsea. It didn't take long. She was right where he had left her with Rose, except she was slumped against the wall, unconscious. Rolling his eyes, Damon crouched down and gingerly picked her up, carrying her back to the car along with Stefan and Elena.

"I thought you said you did this for a living." He remarked to her temporarily dead form.

* * *

><p>Chelsea woke with a start, gasping for breath. She took in her surroundings while reaching a hand up to rub her sore neck. The little bitch had killed her! Looking around, she realized she was in the living room of the boarding house.<p>

"She lives!" She heard Damon's voice say from behind her.

Chelsea turned to see him standing at the bar. He poured a glass of whiskey and handed it to her. She accepted it and took a big gulp.

"What happened back there?" He asked. "You told me you knew what you were doing."

"I fucked up." She said matter-of-factly.

"No kidding." He replied. "See if I take you anywhere again."

Stefan entered, catching their attention. Chelsea sat on her knees and faced the back of the couch. She crossed her arms and rested them on the back, facing Damon.

"Where's Elena?" Chelsea asked since she had missed the end of the fight.

"She's home." Stefan told her.

"And you're here why?" Damon questioned, turning towards his brother.

"Because she wanted to be with Jeremy."

"Here." Damon said, pouring another glass and handing it to Stefan.

"Thanks." Stefan took and then leaned against the back of the couch, next to Chelsea. "Listen, what Rose told Elena about the curse…"

"I know." Damon stopped him. "We'll keep her safe."

"Did I miss something?" Chelsea asked.

"The vampire I staked was Elijah, an Original." Damon told her.

"You're kidding." Chelsea said.

"You know him?" Stefan asked, turning to look down at her.

"I know of him. And I've seen one or two in London." She stated as if she were talking about a dog. "Now tell me what Elena found out about the curse."

"To put it simply," Damon started. "Elena is a doppelganger and she needs to be sacrificed in order to break the curse."

"That's why Elijah wanted her." Stefan added.

"Of course it is!" Chelsea said with a roll of her eyes before being overtaken by a big yawn. "Man, getting killed is exhausting."

She moved to stand, stretching her arms above her head as she went.

"Good night, boys." She said as she made her way across the living room.

Stefan gave her a nod and Damon simply watched her go.

"Hey." Stefan said, trying to catch his brother's attention.

"What?" Damon answered, only momentarily deterred.

"I'm sorry." Stefan told him.

"About what?" Damon asked, now giving Stefan his attention.

"For being the guy who made you turn 145 years ago." Stefan said.

"Not now, Stef. It's late." Damon said, and then back to the direction Chelsea had left in. "Besides, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all."

* * *

><p>She had just begun to drift off to sleep when there was a soft knock at her door.<p>

"What is it?" Chelsea asked, trying to mask the slight annoyance in her voice.

The door opened slightly, letting in a beam of light from the hallway. She could see Damon's silhouette.

"Were you sleeping?" He asked.

"Almost." She said, which Damon took as an invitation to enter and turn on the light.

"Sorry." He said with little remorse and made his way over to the bed.

"What a brat you are!" She chided, sitting up and folding her legs under her blanket.

He sat down on the bed, lounging in front of her.

"Now don't tell me you weren't just laying here, fantasizing about me sneaking into your room for a little late night fun." He said with a wiggle of his eyebrow.

He was so arrogant, part of her wanted to laugh in his face, but he was so charming and the other part of her wanted to just take him up on the offer. But she wasn't sure if he was just playing around or not, so she decided to have a little fun with him.

"And what if I said that I was?" She asked, leaning forward in her tank top and giving him an eyeful.

Damon immediately sat up and moved so he was sitting face to face with her. Chelsea's stomach did a little flip at their close proximity. She hadn't been this close to him in 145 years and she had forgotten how much she missed the feeling.

"I'd say you're in luck." He said with a sexy little smirk and moved so his mouth was just inches from hers.

Her breath caught in her throat. She wanted so badly to feel his lips on hers again, she almost grabbed him and got it over with. Instead, however, she harnessed all of her strength and shoved him hard in the chest, knocking off the edge of the bed. He hit the floor with a thump and she burst into laughter. He stood and righted himself, giving Chelsea a disapproving look, which only made her laugh harder.

"You don't get it that easily, sir!" She teased. "I'm a lady after all."

This caused Damon to start laughing as well, as he took back his position on the bed.

"Oh, sweetheart," He said. "You've never been a lady."

"True." Chelsea conceded with a grin. "But you used to be a gentleman. What happened?"

"I became a big, bad vampire." He said, bugging his eyes out for effect. "Haven't you heard?"

She gave him a small smile, relishing the playful look in his eyes. Unfortunately, she could see right through it. Every fiber of her being was screaming for her to let this beautiful man just have his way with her tonight. She knew she would regret it, though. She loved him once upon a time, and it was becoming clear to her that she could easily fall in love with him again. If she slept with him now, that would never happen. It would become nothing but a fling and any chance of them even salvaging a friendship from their past would be ruined. So she fought herself, hard.

"You can't use that excuse forever, Damon." She said before lying down and closing her eyes. "See you tomorrow."

She felt his weight lift off of the bed and heard his footsteps move away from her.

"Goodnight, Chelsea." He said, clicking off the light and shutting the bedroom door.


	7. Author's Note

I am so flattered to see this fic still getting so many favorites and alerts though I haven't updated in so long!

Unfortunately, my love for Damon has waned (though I still watch TVD) and so has my inspiration.

However, I would like to give you guys something for showing such interest. If there's anyone out there who might want to adopt the story, I'd be more than willing to do that, as well as offer tips, character insight, and beta reading (if needed). Just send me a PM if any of you are interested in taking over this fic. I feel like a lot can be done with Chelsea in the TVD universe but I no longer have the time nor the drive.


	8. The Story Continues

Good news, everyone! Enjoy The Silence has been adopted. TammyBlack26 is taking over the story and will be continuing the adventure of Damon and Chelsea. Please go ahead and follow her to keep reading. I'm excited to see what she does with the story!


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